We are honored to receive a prestigious (and back-to-back) Graphis award for advertising. Graphis Inc. is an international publisher headquartered in New York City, holding annual awards for the world’s best in visual communications. Earlier this year we won for their 2024 poster award category, and we’re excited to say we’ve now received an award in the advertising campaign series category.

The Client

The series we created is for FACE by MD, an aesthetic facial and body rejuvenation center founded by medical professionals rather than plastic surgeons, a differentiator we utilized during the brand development, interior design and marketing campaigns for the client.

The Ads

The ad series was used in various media channels. Naturally, we developed for multiple ongoing digital applications like social media, websites and digital ad placement. Additionally, for this retail client we wanted to take advantage of conventional advertising avenues. We love an opportunity to engage audiences with physical advertising, featuring full-page publications, retail displays and bus ads coupled with unconventional and captivating brand collateral.

Look up articles on AI in creative circles — the results would be an overwhelming amount of commentary bemoaning the existence of AI and warning the end is nigh for human-made creativity (how broad). Every generation has its personalized apocalypse and yet, here we all stand. While there are indeed issues that always, inevitably, arise from nascent technologies, there are also opportunities that come along with it, hence how and why these technologies came into being in the first place; the human condition of “because we can.” And if we can we do.

What opportunities does AI present creatives, more specifically in the branding, marketing, advertising, graphic design fields? Where many would decry that AI will take gigs away from creatives, we argue it has and will create more prospects for people.

Efficiency isn’t a word we typically think of when we consider art and creativity. However, when designing visual strategies in the real-world, tinkering with campaigns and product ideas, it has become immensely inspirational due to fast-product efficiencies in the design process.

For us designers AI is yet another tool, albeit a sophisticated one that can really churn up creativity and inspire new directions in product design and conceptual imagery. Our use of AI applications have been remarkably helpful in many of our projects and processes in the last year. Image generators (we’ve used a few) have helped us, quickly, explore creative routes when presenting concepts to clients. We, of course, present visually. How cool it is to be able to generate ideas that came from your own brain, quickly, that can articulate to the client what can be.

And sell it.

Once clients are engaged we begin building the idea and, way more often than not, employ vendors to compliment the campaign, prototype, what have you. These contractors are often 3D animators, videographers or other producers who likely wouldn’t have been engaged if we didn’t use our AI tool to woo the client on the idea. Quickly. Efficiently.

The Creative Catalyst

AI image generators have fundamentally altered the way designers like us approach creativity. They are powered by advanced deep learning algorithms that have been trained on vast datasets, enabling them to generate high-quality visuals that rival the work of human designers. Here’s how AI image generators have become a creative catalyst in some of our work:

Amplifying Imagination:

AI image generators serve as a wellspring of inspiration. They can take a simple concept or idea and transform it into a visually stunning reality. Whether we’re brainstorming ideas for an ad campaign or visualizing a product prototype, AI has helped us explore creative possibilities we might have missed otherwise.

Rapid Ideation and Exploration:

The speed at which AI image generators operate is a game-changer. In the past, developing multiple design concepts was a time-consuming process. Now, we can generate a variety of design options in a matter of minutes, allowing us to explore different directions and refine our vision quickly.

Bridge concepts inspired by AI image generators for use in real-world design applications.

Data-Driven Design:

AI image generators can analyze data and generate visuals tailored to specific audiences or demographics. This data-driven approach helps us create designs that resonate with target consumers, ultimately leading to more effective ad campaigns and product prototypes.

Customization and Brand Consistency:

One of the remarkable features of AI image generators is their flexibility. We can input brand-specific guidelines, color schemes and design principles to ensure the generated visuals align perfectly with a client’s brand identity. This level of customization guarantees brand consistency across all marketing materials.

Time and Cost Efficiency:

Designing from scratch is time-consuming and expensive. AI image generators allow us to create stunning visuals without the need for a large team or extensive resources. This cost-effectiveness frees up budgets for other crucial aspects of advertising campaigns.

Real-World Applications

We’ve had the privilege of using AI image generators in various projects, leading to remarkable results for our clients.

Conceptualizing Ad Campaigns:

When brainstorming concepts for ad campaigns, AI image generators help us visualize how different creative elements will come together. This aids in presenting compelling visual pitches to clients, increasing the likelihood of approval and collaboration.

Product prototyping and design for entering new markets.

Product Prototyping:

AI image generators play a pivotal role in bringing product prototypes to life. Whether it’s creating 3D renders, packaging designs or mock-ups, AI-powered visuals enhance the presentation of prospective products to clients and stakeholders.

Personalization in Advertising:

AI-driven personalization has become a trend in advertising. We’ve used AI image generators to craft personalized visuals for campaigns. This approach resonates with consumers, resulting in increased engagement and conversions.

The use of AI image generators has added to (and in some ways transformed) our creative process, injecting a new level of efficiency and innovation into bringing clients along and frankly has helped with getting things approved and implemented. These powerful tools have expanded our creative horizons, enabling us to explore, iterate, muck about and produce visuals that captivate audiences. As the technology continues to evolve, designers can anticipate even more exciting applications of AI image generators in shaping the future of design and advertising. Embracing these tools allow us to elevate our craft, delight clients, broaden the work landscape to include other producers heretofore not on the budget sheet and deliver impactful campaigns and product prototypes that leave a lasting impression.